Program ESW 2022
Energy Solutions Week
May 2-6, 2022
Program I Agenda I Speakers I Videos
Stanford ENERGY industry partners will meet on campus for a week to explore with us Frontiers in Energy Technology. This by-invitation program will analyze advances in energy research and development, especially in AI, decarbonization, electric grid, hydrogen, natural gas, energy storage, and sustainable finance. We will highlight pioneering research projects expected to grow into significant research areas at Stanford. Participants will also engage with dozens of industry executives and start-up founders. All speakers.
We will also announce the Global Energy Heroes prize winners during the week. Three $20,000 prizes will be awarded to young people around the world who are creating sustainable energy solutions to benefit their communities.
PROGRAM
HYDROGEN FOR DEEP DECARBONIZATION
MONDAY, MAY 2
The Stanford Hydrogen Initiative Launch Symposium will explore hydrogen as a potential clean energy carrier to mitigate global CO2 emissions in a variety of hard-to-abate sectors, including power generation, transportation, and steel making. We will showcase recent technology and policy innovations at Stanford and beyond in hydrogen generation, distribution and utilization. This program will convene thought leaders from academia, industry, government agencies, and NGOs to explore research directions, implementation strategies, and potential solutions that will enable hydrogen to be fully utilized as part of a net-zero carbon future. Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc. and co-chair of the Hydrogen Council, and Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Director, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, US Department of Energy will deliver the keynotes. Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State, will join us in a fireside chat with Stanford professor Arun Majumdar. Professor Steven Chu, former U.S. Secretary of Energy, will lead a discussion on national hydrogen strategies and international cooperation to establish a global hydrogen economy. Stanford professors and distinguished industry leaders present throughout the day. The program includes such topics as Hydrogen for Industrial Application, Generation and Distribution of Hydrogen, International Perspective and National Strategies, the latest in Stanford Hydrogen research, and start-up innovation around Hydrogen. View full agenda.
ENERGY STORAGE
TUESDAY, MAY 3
StorageX will be holding its annual conference in person on campus after a 2-year hiatus. At this conference, we will be celebrating StorageX’s achievements and accomplishments along with a keynote from Drew Baglino, the CTO of Tesla. We will also explore critical aspects of energy storage such as the circular economy in a panel hosted by Stanford professor Will Tarpeh, fast charging in a panel hosted by Stanford professors Yi Cui and Will Chueh, and long-duration storage in a panel hosted by Stanford professor Arun Majumdar. In addition, we will highlight the latest headlines in energy storage research at Stanford University presented by the students doing the research. Finally, we will showcase a number of energy storage start-ups that have come out of Stanford Energy. This program is designed to enable the various elements of the StorageX community - the companies, entrepreneurs, government officials, NGO’s, etc. - to collaborate with each other and the StorageX faculty and students. View full agenda.
STANFORD ENERGY RESEARCH SHOWCASE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4
The Stanford Energy Research Symposium will showcase some of the most cutting-edge research being conducted at Stanford in the energy field. The meeting will begin with a description of the innovative strategy followed by the Precourt Institute for Energy to promote research concepts that are not only original and novel in their design but also have the potential to make a major impact at scale in the energy sector. Presentations will be given by faculty experts from Stanford on their research in the areas of Energy Science of Technology, Carbon and Waste Management, and Energy Policy and Analysis. This program is designed to enable stakeholders from academia, industry, and government to gain a deep insight into the latest energy research activities that are ongoing across Stanford. The day's program will showcase the announcement of Stanford's Global Energy Heroes prize, and provide a unique opportunity for direct interactions with the Stanford energy research community. View full agenda.
AI FOR CLEAN ENERGY & CLIMATE RESILIENCE
THURSDAY, MAY 5
The electricity sector is going through fundamental changes due to the urgency to decarbonize, improve resilience against climate-induced extreme weather events, and provide affordable, reliable access to at-risk communities. There is an imperative need to better understand the implications of a changing climate on an electricity system that is expected over the next few decades to transition to zero-carbon. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that can be used to analyze large amounts of data and identify patterns and trends. This workshop showcases the recent Precourt Pioneering Projects that bring together diverse initiatives on campus for research on innovative applications of AI to tackle challenges related to energy transition and climate change. Professor Steve Graham, the Transition Vice Dean of Stanford’s new School focused on climate and sustainability, gives a keynote to provide insights on the new school development. Professors Arun Majumdarand Inês Azevedo speak on AI for Clean Energy and Climate Resilience. Two of Bits & Watts founding members Heather Rock of Pacific Gas & Electric and Cameron Briggs Origin Energy share industry perspectives. Pamela Isom of Department of Energy Artificial Intelligence Technology Office, Thomas Birr of E.ON and RV Guha of Google discuss about Innovation through Collaboration. In addition to technology showcases and presentations, the workshop will include panel discussions with Stanford professors, start-up companies, and distinguished industry leaders on such topics as Deep Solar, Decarbonizing for Climate Resiliency and Equity, AI for Wildfire Detection, Battery Informatics, and AI Entrepreneurial Innovation. Networking sessions to allow interactive conversations on research needs and collaboration opportunities. View full agenda.
ELECTRICITY GRID
FRIDAY, MAY 6
The Stanford Bits & Watts energy initiative will host an annual gathering of its member companies. Bits & Watts is a Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy initiative that brings together multi-disciplinary research teams to develop innovations for the 21st-century electric grid. It works to develop a new grid paradigm that is needed to incorporate large amounts of clean power and a growing number of distributed energy resources, while simultaneously enabling grid reliability, resilience, security, and affordability. Bits & Watts advisory council, composed of industry affiliate members, meets twice every year with Stanford students and researchers to discuss research, convening, and education activities. The Advisory Council meeting also provides a broad and useful platform for knowledge exchange among industry members on current and emerging trends within the energy industry, as well as forces outside of the industry that might have bearing. Friday's program includes such topics as Electrification of Transportation, Wide Bandgap Semiconductor for Power Electronics, Floating Offshore Wind Grid Integration, and Real-Time Electric System Emission Tracking. View full agenda.